McLaren 650S replacement coming in 2018 – report

The McLaren 650S will be replaced in 2018, Autocar reports. The successor, referred to internally as the P14, is part of the British brand’s promise to launch a new model every year.

The motoring rag expects the P14 to use McLaren’s existing carbon-fibre tub and 3.8 litre twin-turbo engine, although power will rise from the 650 PS of the 650S. An output of 670 PS will match that of the new Ferrari 488 GTB and still allow the 675LT to be the Super Series range topper; but since the Long Tail is limited to just 500 units, McLaren could elect to surpass that car’s 675 PS, Autocar reasons.

The supercar game is all about one-upmanship, and Ferrari’s 488 GTB-badged bar is set at 670 PS and 760 Nm from a boosted 3,902 cc V8. The 1,475 kg Italian stallion does 0-100 km/h in three seconds, 0-200 km/h time in 8.3 seconds and a 330 km/h plus top speed. The ball is now in McLaren’s court.

Performance aside, supercars need to drop jaws and stir loins, and the P14’s design is said to be from a clean slate, setting McLaren’s design template for its next batch of cars. Design boss Frank Stephenson said the P14 will be “even crazier” than the P1 hypercar, but signature elements such as the side-mounted air intakes and front bumper design are set to remain.

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

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